China ready to advance greater BRICS cooperation with all members: spokesperson

BEIJING -- China stands ready to take the 16th BRICS Summit as an opportunity to work with member countries to open a new horizon in the high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to provide more details about Chinese President Xi Jinping's attendance at the summit.

The 16th BRICS Summit, held on Wednesday in Kazan, Russia, is the first summit after the enlargement of the BRICS and has attracted great attention from the international community, Lin said.

In a speech addressing the summit, President Xi welcomed new members to the BRICS family, describing the enlargement of BRICS as a major milestone in its history and a landmark event in the evolution of the international situation, Lin said.

For the future development of BRICS, President Xi called on its members to build a BRICS committed to peace and act as defenders of common security, build a BRICS committed to innovation and act as pioneers of high-quality development, build a BRICS committed to green development and act as promoters of sustainable development, build a BRICS committed to justice and act as forerunners in reforming global governance, and build a BRICS committed to closer people-to-people exchanges and act as advocates for harmonious coexistence among all civilizations, Lin noted.

China proposed at the summit that it will implement a capacity-building program for BRICS digital education and open 10 learning centers in BRICS countries in the next five years, Lin added.

The new initiatives and measures are in line with the trend of the times, reflect the common will of BRICS countries, and demonstrate China's firm commitment to and confidence in advancing BRICS cooperation, he said.

Since its establishment 18 years ago, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has become an important force in the international arena. China is not only an advocate of BRICS development, but also a contributor to growing BRICS cooperation, Lin said.

President Xi has presided over or attended the BRICS summits for 12 consecutive years, promoted the establishment of the New Development Bank, initiated the "BRICS Plus" cooperation model, and put forward a series of important proposals and initiatives, which injected strong impetus into BRICS cooperation, the spokesperson said.